Petunia plant named ‘Sunmilk’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Sunmilk’, characterized by its outwardly spreading and decumbent plant habit; vigorous and freely branching growth habit; relatively small leaves; numerous light yellow green to white-colored flowers with red purple-colored venation; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunmilk’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is co-pending with U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 11/050,886, Petunia Plant named ‘Sunraspberry’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Sunmilk.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new Petunias with numerous flowers with attractiveflower colors.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors in December, 2000 of a proprietary Petunia selectionidentified as code number PF 165-1, not patented, as the female, or seedparent, with a proprietary Petunia selection identified as code numberPF 171-1, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Petuniawas selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of thecross-pollination by the Inventors in a controlled environment inYokaichi, Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan since October, 2003 hasshown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sunmilk have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunmilk’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sunmilk’ as a new and distinct Petuniacultivar:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading and decumbent plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous and freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Relatively small leaves.    -   4. Numerous light yellow green to white-colored flowers with red        purple-colored venation.    -   5. Long flowering period.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female and maleparent selections in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are broader than plants of the        female or the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have obtuse-shaped petals whereas        plants of the female and male parent selections have        truncate-shaped petals.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the female and male parent        selections differ in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivarSunrove, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,125. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the newPetunia differed from plants of the cultivar Sunrove in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were not as broad as plants of the        cultivar Sunrove.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller leaves than plants of        the cultivar Sunrove.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers than plants of        the cultivar Sunrove.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Sunrove differed        in flower coloration.    -   5. Plants of the new Petunia flowered longer than plants of the        cultivar Sunrove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunmilk’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers of ‘Sunmilk’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan, in anoutdoor nursery during the summer with day temperatures about 22° C. andnight temperatures about 12° C. Plants were grown for four months in15-cm containers. Plants were pinched one time in the spring. Colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Sunmilk.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Petunia selection identified as            code number PF 165-1, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary Petunia selection identified as            code number PF 171-1, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 18° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—About three weeks at 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, fleshy; light brown in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; outwardly            spreading and decumbent plant habit. Viscid and glandular            pubescent. Vigorous growth habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with lateral            branches developing potentially at every node.        -   Plant height.—About 11.2 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 25 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About            1.5 mm. Internode length: About 9 mm. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;            sessile. Length: About 2.9 cm. Width: About 1.9 cm. Shape:            Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent;            viscid. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color:            Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A.            Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 144A.            Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Similar to lamina.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers            face mostly upward or outward; axillary. Flowers not            persistent. Freely flowering habit.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower from spring through            late autumn in Japan; flowering continuous during this            period.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five days.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.8 cm. Length: About 5 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.            Shape: Cylindrical. Color: 145B.        -   Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: Five petals; fused,            funnelform. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate or fan-shaped.            Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; satiny. Color: Petal,            upper surface, when developing and fully expanded: 154D to            155D; venation, 72A to 70C. Petal, lower surface, when            developing and fully expanded: 154D to 155D; venation, 72A            to 70C. Flower throat (inside): 1D. Flower tube (outside):            1C.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals            fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About            3 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, immature and            mature, upper surface: 146A. Color, immature and mature,            lower surface: 146B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About 0.9 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:            144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.            Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther            color: 159D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 1C.            Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About            2 cm. Style length: About 1.8 cm. Style color: 145B. Stigma            shape: Broadly elliptic. Stigma color: 154C. Ovary color:            144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    noted to be resistant to specific pathogens and pests common to    Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and tolerated    temperatures from 5° C. to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Sunmilk’, asillustrated and described.